Title: Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Book Beginnings:
One morning deep in the nest, a brand new honeybee squirms, pushes, chews through the wax cap of her solitary cell into...a teeming, trembling flurry. Hmmmmmm!
Friday56 (Page 40, last in the book):
Bees are the only insect in the world that make food people can eat...honey!
Summary: Get up close and personal with one honeybee, Apis, as she embarks on her journey through life. This charming children's book conveys a lot of information along with lovely illustrations about this vital insect.
Review: Think you know a lot about bees? Think again. You will
realize you know very little about bees when you read and revel in this
masterpiece about the life of one bee. I read this to my young grandson a
few days ago and he really got into the story of what Apis does on each
day of her short life. At the end of each page the reader is asked if
Apis is ready to fly yet. The answer at the top of the next page is "Not
yet!" Ian got into saying "not yet" with me. Apis has to do a lot of
tasks before she is able to fly and collect nectar. This book is not
only a personal favorite, it has received starred reviews from SEVEN
publications, and rave reviews from many others who don't give stars.
The illustrations are simply gorgeous.
What I like about the book:
- It is so engaging. "Not yet" kept my grandson engaged in a book designed for children a bit older than him.
- Think you can't learn something from a children's book? Read this one and you'll be amazed at what you didn't know before you read it.
- The last few pages are designed for the use of adults who want to discuss/do more with the subject. Helping out honeybees, a Bit more buzz, and lists of resources are great places to start.
- On the second to last page of the story, Apis dies. On the last page a new bee is beginning her life. Not that I didn't like this part, indeed it was necessary to tell the whole story, it just requires quite a bit of explanation to young children. Sensitive kids might even feel sad.
Publishing info: Neal Porter Books, c. February 2020, 40 pages.
Age range: 6-9 years old, but everyone will like it
Source: Print edition checked out from public library
-Anne
What a fun book. I love that you get to read these wonderful books to your grandchildren as it's great to see their wonder and appreciation for a book well done.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat delightful snippets...and I LOVE that cover! Here's mine: “FINLEY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT”
ReplyDeleteI love bees! I think i'd enjoy this one too. Here's my Friday post. Featuring J. A. Jance.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun and educational book. I am glad you and your grandson enjoyed it. 😊 Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSuch an important subject!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting book. Sounds like a fun one.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fascinating read on an important subject. It's so fun to hear how engaged your grandson got with it. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! :)
ReplyDelete